Macron announced that France is preparing new sanctions against Russia.

France is preparing new anti-Russian sanctions , President Emmanuel Macron announced.

"France is determined to increase pressure on Russia as long as it shirks peace. We are working on new sanctions at the European level," the French leader wrote on social media.

Macron also noted that Paris intends to continue measures to counter Russia's shadow fleet.

On January 22, the French Navy detained the oil tanker Grinch in the Mediterranean Sea on suspicion of involvement with a Russian shadow fleet. On January 28, French authorities placed the vessel under administrative arrest.

Following the EU summit in Brussels on December 19, Macron stated that the EU should be prepared to negotiate with Russia if current discussions fail to lead to a "lasting peace" in Ukraine . He said resuming dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be "useful" in this case.

In a July 2025 phone call with Macron, Putin noted that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict was a consequence of Western policies. According to the Russian leader, the West had ignored Russia's security interests for many years and facilitated the formation of an anti-Russian stronghold in Ukraine.

The Russian leader believes that possible agreements to resolve the conflict must be comprehensive, address the root causes of the crisis, and be based on new territorial realities.

Moscow considers Western sanctions illegal. At the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin stated that attempts to inflict "any damage or harm" on Russia, including on the so-called shadow fleet, would lead to widespread problems—primarily for those trying to "make trouble."

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